Mosaics adorn Dover parking garage

DOVER — The Orchard Street parking garage in Dover, opened in late 2015, now looks a little bit brighter.

Mosaics produced by teams of local artists and youth from the Dover Housing Authority now adorn each floor of the parking garage.

“The mosaics that the (Dover) Arts Commission helped put together and facilitate have been preliminarily installed,” said City Councilor Dennis Shanahan, who sits on the Arts Commission.

The job isn't done yet, but some of the mosaics are visible. “It’s going to take a little while more because they were mounted without having the grouting put in between the tile pieces.”

The mosaics will serve not only to decorate the building, but to help motorists remember on which level they parked their cars. Each floor mosaic features a different piece of Dover history: the Dover Mounted Unit, Garrison Hill Tower, City Hall, Cocheco Mills and a gundalow.

“The garage functions as a cornerstone to downtown Dover’s progress, so we embraced the Art Commission’s idea of adding color and art to make the space more interesting and welcoming,” Parking Manager Bill Simons said in a press release when the project was announced. “Instead of seeing plain concrete walls, visitors will now be greeted by beautiful pieces of art.”

Once work on the project is complete, there will be an official opening event for the mosaics. Shanahan said the opening has not yet been scheduled, but will likely be in early June.

“You’re going to like what you see,” Shanahan said. “And hopefully in the next year, we’ll have a similar project on the side of the indoor pool to go along with Mr. Bannon’s whale tail.”

Shanahan was referring to an 18-foot stainless steel whale tail that Recreation Director Gary Bannon announced last month may top the indoor pool building. The tail would make it look like a whale is diving into the pool.

In conjunction with the whale tail installation, the Arts Commission is expected to apply for a grant to create a mural to attach to the pool building. Details of that mural are not yet known, but it would likely be a partnership between youth and professional artists.